Return to the Valley

So, my PhD is finished. I will soon be a Doctor. (I wonder if that means I get a Gallifreyan accent, and a second heart?) In addition to finishing my education, a lot of changes happened over the year since I signed off (last March). I was on track to finish my PhD in the autumn semester of 2011, when I found out that my old job at the research center was being de-funded. So I had to spend much of the fall months looking for a new job (and also going through a bit of depression...) needless to say, I wasn't focusing on my PhD. Luckily, however, I got a new (great) job, and I finished up in the spring semester. Glad to be done!

I can, now with a clear conscience, return to working on the Valley in my spare time.

My plans for the next few months will be in completing and collating the various regional descriptions, along with the descriptions of the professions (class descriptions), religion, and races. Putting this all into a combined gazetteer (or player's handbook), and producing it as a PDF here on the website.

Step one will be in completing the regional descriptions of the regions of the valley. The first two already have some introductory material, but maps and keyed descriptions are also necessary.

• The Shattered Plains
• The Enchanted Forests

Moving from west to east, north of the Great River, the next region will be the Darkearth Plains, named for the curiously dark, nearly black soil common to the area between the Lost Mare and Greywater rivers. While not as big as some of the other regions, there is a lot going on here, so it should be an interesting writeup. Have I mentioned the intelligent horses? How about the horned ones?

Located in Darkearth, of course, is the Hermitage of the Beast-Duke. The adventure, Horror at the Hermitage is already underway, and might be released here on the blog, as well. I hope to run it at a convention later on this year.